The internet is an amazing thing. It’s filled with freely available information to those who seek it, but it didn’t take long for access to some information to become monetized. Monetization is not a bad thing, but imagine if all information and software on the internet was behind a paywall. The internet wouldn’t be so amazing, would it?

Humans Are Connected Like Never Before in Our History

The internet offers us the opportunity to connect with people on the other side of the planet in an instant. This amazing technology only became possible because many people were creating free tools and services that make it happen.

Why Do People Give Freely?

In terms of human psychology, it all comes down to happiness and creating a connection with others. There are some interesting studies into why people give of themselves found here.

Is it in our nature to give? It seems so.

The thinking goes that if we give to others, and those people give to yet more people, we create a continuous cycle of happiness that spreads far and wide. The end result being a better world and existence for all.

How Does This Relate to the Internet Business World?

Assuming we agree that creating happiness within ourselves is a good thing, and spreading that happiness with our fellow humans through the sharing of information and knowledge is also a good thing, then the internet can be described as a perfect pathway to personal and business success.

I’m talking specifically about the Freemium Business Model. This business model involves the best of both worlds: giving something useful away for free and then offering a paid version of that same “something” that has additional features of usefulness to those that need it.

This could be software like a WordPress plugin or even access to additional information in the form of written content or other media like in depth training videos after someone pays a small fee.

Are You Giving or Just Taking?

If you run a business with an internet presence think of all the free software or services that you depend on. It’s likely that your business depends on at least one or more freely available tools. Not only is this great for you as an end user, but it’s also likely that these tools and services have some kind of paid upgrade path to help sustain and fund the development of additional services.

If you are running an online business and are not offering anything for free, I would recommend re-evaluating your business plan. It makes the (internet) world a better place, and it’s also good business.